Valiant  A Man, A Journey, and A Rare Pokemon
by BradCVille
Summary: A nameless hero, destined for disappointment, clings on to the only piece of comfort that he can find; a myth that has lingered the Hawkins family for generations. Will he find this "Blue Savior", or will he die trying?
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1 – Valiant Beginning_

_ We met 8 years ago. I was only 10 at the time, on vacation with my Father in the northern plains. It was rather unsettling as I was never really used to the cold. I grew up in a rural village called Pallet, a place where my great-grandfather, Red Hawkins, made his name known worldwide as he was the first person to ever defeat the best trainers of the land, The Elite. This was a feat not taken lightly as The Elite are famous for utilizing their Pokémon in such a way that they stopped the cataclysm of the invading Deoxys. I look up to him every day as a constant reminder of what it truly means to be the very best. This was especially so back when I was more impressionable, at a time where I thought there was no evil in the world. Of course now I know better, but I wish I still had that mindset, being blissfully unaware of the evil plaguing the world. _

_Our family is the Hawkins, a name that holds a lot of pressure. My great-grandfather is world famous as you know. My grandfather helped the government defeat a dark syndicate that had planned to convert the population into slaves of their leader, Rocket Jones. My father is a famous traveller, known for being the first person to ever tame a wild Dragonite. And then there's me, the kid known for being a huge disappointment to his family. I haven't contributed to the Hawkins family legacy, and even though I was only 10 I still had expectations from my father. He would always expect so much of me and when I crack from the pressure the feeling is horrible. I always figured my father would give up on me if it wasn't for a certain myth. _

_There was always a dark tale that would linger around our family, generation after generation. Before my great-grandfather died, he told my grandfather about a time when he was travelling in the Arctic Ice caps and how he somehow got lost in a glacier as tall as a mountain for days. He believed that with the dark night approaching and the temperature decreasing that he had lost all hope in ever returning home alive. He said that the only reason he survived was because of a "blue saviour" that found him in an ice cavern, shivering from the frigid air. He said that this saviour was protecting him from the cold, and before he could even speak, the blue saviour flew him across a wide open canyon, back to safety. Nowadays we assume it was an Articuno, but to him it was more than that. It was a deity that preserved his life for just a little bit longer than fate intended. _

_My grandfather considered his story nothing but just that: a story. He passed it off as a tale of woe from a dying old man. My father, however, refused to call it rubbish and spent his entire life to finding this legendary deity. When you consider an Articuno normally, their personalities reflect their type, cold and emotionless. They are impossible to train as their hearts are frozen to the core, so much so that even Love couldn't thaw it. My father was determined, however, to train this rare beast and take on The Elites in order to surpass the shadow of his Grandfather and be the greatest Hawkin to ever exist. _

_His saving grace turned sour, however, as he was unsuccessful in all of his journeys. With shame smothering his heart, he settled in Pallet Town where he met my mother. I never had the chance to meet her since she died giving birth to me, but my father always talked about how beautiful she was and how much she cared about him. He believed that with a family in his life, the past that was relentlessly haunting him would finally leave him alone. _

_When I turned 10, however, the spark in his life flickered furiously, giving him the passion that was absent in his previous attempts. He knew that if he ever wanted a chance of catching this wonderful beast, he would need the strength of his son to aid him. It is common knowledge that when a kid turns 10, he is allowed to go on adventures with his parents to give him experience on how to adventure with Pokémon. _

_On this fateful day, my father heard a story from one of his old travelling partners, Trent Fisher. He spoke of a record-shattering glacier found in the northern mountains, too violent of a place to traverse alone. The place was crawling with Cryogonals, disguised as simple snowflakes, preying on unsuspecting adventurers. _

_Cryogonals are known as evil Pokémon that prey on wary travellers that underestimate their power in numbers. When tamed, they are a force to recognize if placed in the hands of an experienced trainer. The problem is that Cryogonal aren't native to this region, so the fact that they just showed up on a random glacier really piqued my father's interest. Of course the fact that Cryogonal are even present there made the whole place barren of any life, making it the perfect opportunity to search for the blue saviour without any distractions or competition. My father asked Trent if he wanted to help, but his face turned whiter than Ice, frozen from the fear of being devoured by a Cryogonal. He wasn't a trainer himself so he knew he wouldn't have been any help anyways. The only reason my father ever took him along with him on journeys was because I wasn't old enough to go with him and he needed someone who could keep him company since Pokémon can't talk. _

_After we said our goodbyes we packed our supplies and headed for this lustrous glacier, high hopes in hand. Since I was so young I never really understood the severity of the situation as I had only been on a couple adventures with my Father beforehand, and they were nothing too dangerous for us to handle. They could barely even be considered adventures as we only went outside in our backyard, trying to get rid of the plaguing oddish that was eating all of our vegetables. As we climbed the glacier we were constantly bombarded by wild Cryogonals, making our lives just a little bit more troublesome. If it wasn't for the fact that my father was a notable trainer back in the day, we would have most definitely been killed by them. _

_He befriended a young Growlithe when he was younger, and their duo is what I consider unbreakable. He has a powerful Dragonite but the bond he shared with his Growlithe was what gave him all of his success. At the time of the adventure he was an Arcanine, battle scarred by the journeys he had faced with my dad. Arcanine was so powerful that his flames were defeating the Cryogonals like they were actual snowflakes, leaving us with a clear path to the top. I assume we were around forty stories high when fate intervened with our adventure. _

_It turns out that even the mighty Arcanine of the world famous traveller Blue Hawkins is susceptible to fatigue, and just when a pack of Cryogonals appeared, he ran out of energy. All I remember from that moment was my father telling me to "close my eyes" and before I knew what was happening, I blacked out. When I awoke, I was in a dark and icy cave, alone. With nothing but the sound of an unforgiving wind on my back, I assumed the legacy of the Hawkins family would end that night. _

_As I was beginning to pass out, I heard a noise so terrifying I could feel my body paralyze itself in fear. Looking at the caves entrance I could see a young Cryogonal approach me with eyes of frozen rage. I tried to scream but my mouth wouldn't open. I closed my eyes in hope that I would wake up and call this a nightmare to forget, but it kept on creeping closer and closer until I could feel the cold radiating from its body. I wanted to scream as loud as I possibly could but there was nobody here to listen. I was alone. My eyes began to freeze, my sight began to fade, my hearing started to get fuzzy, and all I wanted at that moment was for the beast to hurry up and end my misery. Just as it was about to ready its attack, I saw a brief flash of blue, followed by the faint sound of the Cryogonal disintegrating into darkness. I looked outside into the cold glacial mountain and what I saw was simply breathtaking. There was an Articuno the size of a god protecting me from what appeared to be millions of Cryogonal. I took this as a sign to keep going and climbed my way to the top of the glacier. _

_If it wasn't for the fact that a snowstorm ensnared me from the outside world, I assume the view would have been amazing. At first there was nothing but Ice, but as I drew closer and closer to the very top, I could see what appeared to be a nest made of icicles. It saddened me to see that many of the eggs had been eaten, crushed, or frozen, but there was one still fighting for its life. Afraid of cracking the egg, I left it in the nest and kept a close eye on it. _

_I turned around to see the mother Articuno, but there was nothing there. It was then that I knew I was completely alone on the top of a barren glacier. I don't know what happened to my father or the colossus Articuno, but what I do know is that when I looked at the nest again, I saw not an egg, but a baby. It shone with pride and fearlessness as it rose from the nest and stared into my eyes. _

_I was always told to be cautious of wild Articuno as they are known to attack without any warning. When it walked towards me with safe intentions, I knew then that it was my destiny to raise it and continue the legacy of the blue saviour. All I needed was a name and a Pokeball Luckily for me I always carry one around my neck as it was a gift that was passed down from generation to generation. I looked at the engraving that was on the ball and knew that I had found the name of what was later going to be the saviour of the world, and myself. _

"_I think I'll call you…Valiant"._

_~End of Chapter~_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2 – Valiant Façade_

_ "Today is my 18__th__ birthday, and I'm finally able to start my journey to be a Pokémon master!" is what I should be saying right now, but unfortunately for me this is not the case. Ever since my father disappeared 8 years ago I had to fend for myself. Sometimes the locals would see me and offer a place to stay for the night, but usually I would just camp out in the Viridian forest. There was never any danger as Valiant would always take care of anything that opposed us, including the police. They've spent years trying to put me in special care and Valiant in a cage. It's usually common knowledge that a baby Articuno takes years to grow in areas that aren't cold enough, so the fact that Valiant has kept its baby status for so long makes it a collector's item. I truly hate to attack the police as I know their intentions are somewhat true, but without Valiant I have nothing to strive for. If I'm ever going to get a chance to find my father and bring Valiant back to his mother, I need to hold on to it just a little bit longer. Little known fact, since it's my 18__th__ birthday I am entitled to register for the league. However, the money and fame aren't what I'm aiming for, so what's the point? Unless I find out that someone in the league knows the whereabouts of my father, I have no plans of leaving this small village._

_ Before I started to unpack what little belongings I own for the night, I began to hear this faint yet irritating noise. It kind of sounded like a growl but I'm certain there aren't any dogs in this part of the region. Perhaps it was a Growlithe? Or maybe even an Arcanine? Whatever it was, I put on my coat and sent out Valiant just in case. His presence is very soothing for me as I just feel safe with him around. He is the only thing in this world that can relate to the ice that has developed around my heart. If there was anything in the world that would understand the actions I take, it would be him. I told him to scout the nearby area and see if anything suspicious was near, but he came back empty handed. I heard the noise again, however, and it was loud. It sounded much darker than a normal growl, in an evil sort of way. I stepped back, prepared for what was going to happen, and commanded Valiant to scorch the area with a hailstorm. Of course he complied, drenching the place with hail. I sort of felt bad for the thing as normal hail is bad enough, but the hail of an Articuno is not pleasant at all. After Valiant stopped I looked at the weakened Pokémon and it looked like what appeared to be a Houndour, which is strange since they aren't indigenous to this region. They are part Dark type so it's understandable that I mistook his growl for something much worse. With a dying Houndour in front of me, I had no choice but to meet the shady Professor of the town, "Oak". I sincerely believe that he has been hiding something from everybody ever since I saw him in his lab a few months ago. It was dark so I can't be too sure, but I know for a fact that I could hear the sound of abused Pokémon, and I know it was "Oak" delivering the pain. I've always said that if I were to ever call him out on his felony, it would be when I knew I was leaving this crappy town for good._

_ It's tough to walk around town with a dying Houndour as many people stare at you, which is something I've grown to loathe over time. Walking into the lab was very hard as I knew I would be in the same room with a monster. I could hear "Oak" enter the lab behind me, preparing his façade for our little get-together._

"_I came when I heard you defeated a wild Houndour"_

_ His jokes are not only horrible, but stupid as well. I mustered up a crappy smile to try and play his game, but I know he didn't believe it. I told him about what happened, and without hesitation he grabbed Houndour and gave him some tests. I was reluctant to say something as there wasn't a Center in town. Whenever a sick Pokémon entered this town the trainer would have no choice but to visit "Oak". God only knows what this sick freak has done to some of them._

"_So listen my boy, I'm positively sure that this young Houndour has not been caught yet. Perhaps you would like to train it? Since you're 18 I'm sure they'll let you in the league. You…do plan on entering the league right?"_

_ Crap, trapped in a corner. If I say no I'll be questioned for eternity as every 18-year-old takes on the league. If I say yes, I'll be forced to take on a bunch of loser trainers to win a lame championship. It doesn't matter anyways, in the end I'll still be alone, forever. My family is gone, and they're not coming back…_

"_Of course I'm applying for the league! I think Houndour will make the perfect partner!"_

"_Well if you want any advice, I'm here. And remember, if you want a strong start to the league, take on Brock from Pewter City. He tends to go easy on beginners so you should be fine."_

_ Never have I been more tempted to call a person out on their bull. I know that as soon as I leave the lab he'll continue doing his morbid tests on his Pokémon. If I handle this wrong I might end up in jail. I walked around the lab to make sure that nobody was around to watch. Now was the time to ask him about my father's whereabouts and who can give me answers. If things get hairy I'll have to soil my hands, but I'm not afraid to do it. I'll feel no remorse for this as I know I'm getting rid of a plague in the world._

"_Before I go, I just have one little question I need to ask you. What's your Grandson's name? You know, the one that's been travelling across Kanto making a name for him? I figured that if I'm going to travel Kanto, I might as well travel with someone I know."_

"_I…um…W-why do you ask such a thing? Just look him up on the database or something…"_

"_Oh, and another thing has been bugging me. Why have you been calling yourself "Oak"? The townsfolk have been wondering for ages why you call yourself that, but we decided to be polite and go along with it. It just seems weird that a person would use a tree as a name for so long."_

"_Maybe you should follow their example kid and be more polite."_

"_Screw this, I'm done playing games. I know what you've been doing to these creatures when you think you're alone and I know you've been impersonating as the professor ever since you killed him and took his place in this hell-hole. Listen, if you don't give me information of the whereabouts of my father I won't hesitate to end your life. Now that I have my league pass you are of no use to me anymore and once I'm out of town there will be no suspects, no witnesses, and no justice for your murder."_

_ I could tell by the look on his face that I've hit the nail on the head. He knew that if he didn't spill his guts, I'll make sure to it that it actually happens. With all the cards in my hand I should have no trouble coming out of this unscathed._

"_Well…aren't you a master detective! Fine, you wanna dive in crap? Let's get right to it then! My name is Charles Oakley and I'm a member of the crime syndicate 'Rock3t'. We're the newly revitalized Rocket team from many years ago, thirsty for revenge and world domination. My job was to corrupt every town I could find until the region would become uninhabitable for life. With nobody to stop us, we could take over the region with no retaliation and move on to the rest of Japan. My plans haven't been going so well though, ever since you're damn father settled here. His fame put this dump on the map, making it impossible to corrupt the place. If I return to HQ with a failed report, I'm as good as dead. Now I'm forced to be the professor of this place until I figure out a way to make things right for me. With your father gone I assumed it would be cakewalk but the townsfolk just got livelier dammit! I can't win with this place! And now here you are, demanding I tell you where your father is? HAH! Your dad is dead kid, and he isn't coming back. Now run along and play with your mutt, I got important business to take care of."_

_ I had to control my rage if I wanted to get a lead on my father. I know this filth is bluffing, he has to be. There's no way my father would just disappear into nothing without any shred of evidence. I knew that if I was going to make him talk, I needed to pin him to a corner. He was clearly stronger than me so brute force is out of the question. I can't use Houndour since I haven't even given him an order yet. If I use Valiant I'll make a scene, risking my chance of escape. I guess I have no choice in the matter…_

"_Hey Oak, what do you think is a good nickname for my new Houndour? If I'm going to train him he should have a cool name."_

"_Hmm…how about 'Cerberus'? Ya know, Fire and Dark? Looks like a dog?"_

"_Um…maybe I'll just call him Bentley or something, but thanks anyways…"_

"_Yeah whatever, now get out of my lab."_

_ Now was my perfect chance. He thought I was here without a secret weapon so his guard was down. I took off my necklace and sent out Valiant with the hope of him laying low. Nothing I could do would hinder his shining glare of rarity and ice. Oakley was so frightened that he cowered under the table, stuttering and murmuring something unrecognizable to me. I told him that if he valued his life he would drop the act and tell me everything he knew about my father. He said that if there was even a remote chance of finding any information about my dad, I would have to talk to Uncle Blaine. The mere mention of my Uncle sent shivers down my spine, and not in a good way. I already knew for a fact that if I wanted to talk to him, I would have to defeat him in battle. Unfortunately, he is seventh on the list of trainers to defeat. Blaine secluded himself from the rest of the family since he thought the world considered him an inferior brother to my dad. His bitterness and anger towards our family made him age, to the point of him looking like he should be in retirement. I had no choice but to blaze through the league and find my Uncle if I wanted any answers._

"_Now was that so hard? I appreciate your somewhat cooperation in the matter, but I'm afraid you know too much. Consider this as punishment for all the people you've traumatized and all the Pokémon you've beaten and murdered. Oh yeah, thanks for helping out Bentley, he'll be a great addition to my team. Valiant? Ice Beam. Now."_

_ I turned and looked away. If I had seen what I had done I probably would have killed myself right then and there. I'm not a murderer, I know I'm not. That piece of trash deserved what he got, and dammit I'm proud of doing and it and I would have done it again. With Oak gone I had no other reason to stay in town, so I packed my things and left. Looking at the rules and guidelines of the league, I wasn't allowed to use any Pokémon that was considered "Legendary". With Valiant out of the action, I had to make sure that Bentley and whatever else would join my team was strong enough to take me to Blaine. I took Bentley out of his Pokeball and started his training in the fields north of Pallet. With Brock first on my list, I had to get Bentley strong enough to face Rock types. If not, I'm going to fail before I even begin._

_~End of Chapter~_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3 – Valiant Strategy_

_ Bentley has become a lot stronger lately, it seems. We almost had a deadly accident when Bentley learned how to use Smog and went crazy with it. Luckily Valiant was able to blow the smog away before any permanent damage was made. I researched everything I could about Brock and the type of Pokémon he uses and found out that Bentley will be at a great disadvantage unless I come up with a strategy. If I could just poison them…then I'll be able slowly erode them until either I win or he gives up. The only problem is whether or not Bentley can dodge their attacks very well. Maybe someone in Viridian City can help me? My father used to talk about how this place used to be the save haven of the original Rockets. He said that if I were ever in trouble and ended up in this place, the best option for me is to go to the Academy and take refuge there. Viridian City itself is barely qualified to be called a city since the place is tiny. It's different from Pallet since it not only has an Academy but a Center as well. The shop there is small but it gives you what you need I guess. I refuse to use potions though as it means Bentley is weak and not yet ready to win. When I defeat Brock it would be because of our pure and raw talent, not because I cheated when times were rough._

_ The Academy is rather small, probably only able to accommodate around 10 kids. It makes sense though as the population in Viridian is very insignificant. It seems as though nobody wants to live here, and I guess I can understand why. With places like Celadon and Cerulean just a short walk away, it makes sense for people to prefer living there. By the time I arrived at the Academy all the kids had left for the night. The teacher was cleaning up the place before she left so I figured if I was going to get any strategies against Brock, I should get them from her. Besides, if she decides not to cooperate, I can always just send out Valiant and hope she complies._

"_Excuse me Madam. I'm new in town and I plan to take on the local gym. I hear that Brock, the leader, uses Rock types. Any chance you could give me some pointers on what works best against him?"_

"_Well child, all of his Pokémon are pure Rock type so if you want to deal the most damage, use attacks that are Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. I assume you started in Pallet? Then go get a Charmander from Oak and train it until it learns Metal Claw. You should be fine as long as you carry a couple potions just in case."_

"_Maybe I should have been a bit more specific. What's a good strategy for someone who refuses to use Potions and only have a Houndour?"_

"_Perhaps you could find a job as a Janitor?"_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Listen you little punk. Brock won't be defeated by some half-assed trainer who found a random mutt and is too dunce to use potions. How the hell am I supposed to help you if you're gonna be stubborn as a mule?"_

_ I had to revaluate the situation if I wanted to get any answers. I started to think that maybe confronting and pestering weren't one of my strong suits. Maybe if I just lied to her then things could look up for me. My father did always tell me to never lie unless it was needed, but I believed there wasn't going to be a better time, so why not?_

"_Well actually, my Friend made a huge bet with me, stating that if I defeated Brock with a big disadvantage, he'd give me $1000. Perhaps if you help me win the bet I could split the winnings with you? I'm sure all that money could help since you are working as a teacher in a school the size of a bathroom."_

"_Hmm…fine. But to make sure you don't pull anything funny, I'm going to watch the match and see to it that as soon as you win I get my share. What do you say?"_

"_You got yourself a deal. Now what is Brock's weakness?_

"_While your Houndour is generally weak by type, Brock doesn't train his Pokémon very often since he assumes that Rock types are so strong that they don't need to be trained. If you can train Bentley until it starts biting with a dark aura around him, then I'm sure you'll be able to beat Brock. Now hurry up and make me $500."_

_ The ugly grin on her disgusting face made me kind of regret ever speaking to her in the first place. There was something bothering me about her, though. Perhaps maybe I'd be able to send out Valiant after all?_

"_How did you know his name was Bentley? We've never met before and I never called him anything but Houndour in this entire conversation. There shouldn't have been any way for you to know his name unless you know more than you are telling me."_

"_Shit…Guess I let the cat slip out of the bag again. My bad! I tend to do that a lot. Honestly? I saw you training around the outskirts of town and I heard you call him Bentley. Is that so weird?"_

"_Well you see, when you add the fact that you're generally a creepy person, you need to forgive me when I say I don't believe you at all."_

"_Well aren't you a damn gentleman. Who the hell do you think you are? Someone decides to help you out of pure kindness and all you want to do is insult them? Screw you kid. I was in Pallet a couple days ago and everybody has been talking about how the Professor is missing and how they haven't seen the Orphan boy at all. I happen to know for a fact that you are the orphan boy, and I also know that there is no possible way that you're not connected to the Professors whereabouts. Now I suggest that if you want to stay a free man, go to Brocks gym, defeat him, and pay me ALL the money."_

_ Maybe I should learn to keep my mouth shut. If it wasn't for the fact that this woman is a downright idiot, I probably would have been hyperventilating uncontrollably. If she honestly thought I was going to listen to a petty threat like that, she must have been out of her damn mind. Unfortunately she does have me trapped in a corner since I can't take out Valiant without making a scene. Looks like I have to play along with her for just a little bit longer, until I have no reason to be here anymore._

"_Well shit. Guess I have no choice in the matter now do I? Fine then, have it your way. I'll go to Pewter City tomorrow, challenge Brock, and win. After you get your money, I'll never enter this city ever again. You have my word."_

_ For the entire night I stayed in Viridian forest, making Bentley attack any and all Pokémon that he saw. Sure it looked inhumane since some of them never attacked us first, but when times are tough you have to sacrifice. I specifically told him to not use his flames or smog since his bite was what I needed to win. It seemed hopeless until the Sun started to rise, helping me see the Dark Aura that was surrounding his body. With this dark attack learned I was now able to take on Brock and win! It's strange really, for some reason I feel…excited for this battle. I can't stray off the beaten path, for if I forget why I'm doing this in the first place, I'll never find my father. Still though, throughout all my life I've never felt this feeling before. I believe people call it…confidence? I must avoid these cheerful feelings at all costs if I want Valiant to obey me. The only reason he is still around is because I'm his substitute for the cold, empty, sad, and tragic frozen wastelands Articunos usually live in. I mean, why else would he stick around? Is it because we're "friends" or something? HAH. Nobody would want to be friends with a loser like me. Hell, even my own father left me because of my failures. When my own Mother gave birth to me she knew that I would grow up as a loser and didn't want any part of it…I'm nothing to everybody, everything to nobody. All that matters in my life is the fact that someone out there knows where my father is, and if anybody tries to prevent me from finding him, I'll see to it that they are never able to do anything harmful ever again. The only problem now is that damn teacher. I know for a fact that if she comes to the battle tomorrow I'm going to have a bloodbath in order to keep her mouth shut. If I don't play my cards right, my Journey will be over before it even begins._


End file.
